Naruto and the Rasengan
by spaciousignatius
Summary: After the Chunin exams, Naruto is fascinated with Sasuke's new Chidori. Despite hours of training and countless attempts at it, he can't seem to figure it out at all. Will he figure it out, or will the Pervy Sage be able to show him something even better? Set between the Destruction of the Leaf and Tsunade search arc of Part 1 Naruto
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Naruto. This is a disclaimer, consider in disclaimed.**

Chapter One

It has been a long and fruitless day of training, and to say that Naruto Uzumaki was exhausted would be an understatement.

He had risen out of bed at a hopelessly early hour to sneak in as much training as he could before his team was inevitably assigned a new mission, after the failed attempt to destroy Konoha during the Chunin exams by both Oto and Suna's shinobi forces and the death of the Sandaime Hokage, there seemed to be a lot of work, and not nearly enough manpower. The thought of Naruto's old friend and mentor's brutal end stung like venom in his chest.

"Damn it, old man.." His voice was barely more than a mutter as he cursed a ghost he wasn't quite sure could hear him. The memory of the Hokage's funeral was still fresh in his mind; an entire village gathered in somber, heartbreaking silence to mourn and respect the life of somebody who gave their life, well into the age of retirement, to his home. An ocean of sorrowful villagers, all dressed in black to send their beloved Hokage off to the unknown. Naruto could almost hear the old man's gravelly voice in his head when he thought back to the time the Sandaime visited his class at the academy not so long ago.

"As Hokage, I've come to love and treasure the whole of the village as my family. That is what it means to possess the Will of Fire.". Naruto couldn't even fein understanding in what the old man meant, and even now as he fell to his knees on the soft grass of the Konoha Training Fields, he wished he could think back and understand every word his Hokage had ever said to him. From encouraging praises to limricks of looking forward with an open mind, the old mans wisdom seemed to ooze out of him at times. If only Naruto could have understood what it all meant before it was gone.

As the cool fall breeze blew through the clearing, Naruto couldn't tell the sweat on his face from the streaks of tears that had fallen down his cheeks. The chilled touch of the wind shocked Naruto away from his mournful thoughts, and he quickly rose to his feet.

"I'm just gonna have to get stronger to avenge the old man. I'm gonna be the Hokage who carries on the Will of Fire! Hai!" All of a sudden, his blood felt like it had started to boil. The thought of the man- the _bastard _who killed his Hokage brought a fury that plagued his vision in a fury of red. "_That snake has no idea what he's got coming to him. He's gonna wish the old man had finished the job by the time I-_ Stop it. Focus on your training." He sighed, pushing his dark thoughts from his mind. Now is not the time to lose his grip. Widening his stance, Naruto focused his energy into has fingers and felt the familiar tingle of chakra mold into his hands. Maybe after a long day of training, he was warmed up enough to give that cool new ninjutsu he had seen Sasuke use in the exams a try.

"Ushi! U! Saru!" The jumbling circus of Naruto's fingers weaving the unfamiliar hand signs could only wish to compare to the mess his chakra seemed to tangle into. If he didn't know better, Naruto would think that it was confused. With a grunt, he tried again, weaving the seals much more efficiently this time, but by the time he had grasped his wrist and shouted "CHIDORI!", his chakra had already flowed back through to the core of his naval. Chakra control had never been his strongest point, but after weeks of training with the Pervy Sage, he had thought he had gotten at least somewhat competent at it. Frustrated, Naruto tossed himself backwards and landed hard on the ground beneath him, its grassy exterior only barely cushioning his fall. Where the hell was the Pervy Sage when he needed him? What kind of master just up and leaves his student to train by himself? "_I don't even want to think about what he's doing. Probably doing old perv stuff, like taking sniffs at the womens sandals at the bathhouse._" He shuttered at the thought. Legendary Sannin or not, the Toad Sage has some weird interests. Naruto was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed the sound of wooden geta coming towards him, squishing down the orange-gold grass, illuminated by the setting sun.

"Hey, Naruto! Out training by yourself, huh?" The Toad Sage stood over Naruto as if summoned by his apprentice's sudden barrage of negative thoughts. The way the old sage stood above Naruto's face blocking the fading sunlight from his face and casting a shadow over the young genin's body. Despite his advanced age, Master Jiraiya's body showed no sign of deterioration; in fact, he was built stronger and more muscular than most Konoha shinobi twenty-five years his junior, with his broad shoulders and tall stature a clear and intimidating feature not easily overlooked. Say what you will about the old guys habits, the man was tough. He straightened his horned headband on his forehead and gave his student a cheery grin. "It looks like you've been at it all day."

Naruto quickly snapped out of his reverie and gave his master a surly look. "No thanks to you, Ero-sennin. Where the hell have you been, anyway? I haven't seen you in almost a week, and meanwhile I've been stuck training by myself! What kind of master are you, anyway?! Do I gotta ask you how to teach me to peep at girls for you to be interested in training me?!" In his frustration, Naruto had found himself standing up with his hands on his hips.

"Wha- YOU BRAT! How could you say something like that! I'm the great Jiraiya of Mount Myoboku!" He spun around and crossed his arms to his chest, looking away from his genin apprentice. "Maybe I don't have time to babysit a stubborn little whiner all the time! Especially one as ungrateful as you!" With that, he swung his head even further to the side, drawing his gaze further from where Naruto stood; his white long hair whipping his apprentice lightly in the face.

"Whatever.." Naruto grumbled for a moment before he eventually sighed, his hands dropping back down to his sides and his shoulders slouching. Despite his frustration, he was surprised at the clear sound of defeat in his own voice. Hopefully the Pervy Sage is too bugged to notice. As if sensing his students sudden shift in attitude, he turned around and gave him a curious look.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

He sighed again, this time allowing himself to straighten his shoulders as he met Jiraiya's eyes. The look the elder man gave him was genuine, a somber, gently gaze that seemed to lift a bit of weight off of Naruto's shoulders.

"Kakashi-sensei taught Sasuke a new jutsu for the Chunin exam and I can't figure it out no matter how much I train." His voice gave away his growing frustration at the thought of his rivals sudden progress. If Kakashi-sensei had been as eager to help him train for the exams as he was to help Sasuke, maybe he would have never been in the position to start training with Jiraiya in the first place. But as strong as Kakashi's reputation is, it didn't come close to Master Jiraiya's. The Sannin was feared by shinobi of villages as far as the map could show, and he'd gladly boast about it.

"A new jutsu? What kind of jutsu did Kakashi teach the kid for you to be so interested in it?" Jiraiya thought for a moment, his eyes widening in realization. He interrupted his student before he had time to answer the question. "What, Chidori? What are you so interested in the Chidori for? Kakashi's one-jutsu-for-all-problems technique isn't anything to work yourself up over." Before he could finish his thought, he noticed Naruto's gaze shift towards the ground, obviously embarrassed by his masters assessment of the jutsu he'd spent countless hours trying to perform. With a nod, Jiraiya placed his hand on his students shoulder, regaining the kids attention once more.

"Wipe the dirt off your clothes, kid. Let's go get some ramen, and maybe I'll tell you about a jutsu that makes Kakashi's Raiton-style look like static." Master Jiraiya spoke with a clear confidence, like he was speaking from a place of pure pride as he stepped passed the boy, heading back the way he came.

With an eager twinkle in his eye and a grin plastered wide across Naruto's face, he patted the dust from his jumpsuit and followed his master back into the village.

**A/N: Thanks very much for reading! This is my first Naruto fic, so any criticism is much appreciated! I have a lot planned for this story, so if you like what you've read, please consider coming back and reading more soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for everybody who favorited this story! Two chapters in one day? Booyah!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter Two

"Come on Pervy Sage! What's keeping you?! If we don't hurry, the broth might get cold!" Naruto's energy was as bubbly and rambunctious as ever as he attempted to pull on his masters sleeve as they stalked down the dirt road towards Ichiraku. "_This kid sure is a handful. One minute he's mopping over some jutsu and the next he's anxious to clean me out with ramen._" The Toad Sage shook his displeasure out of his head and gave the boy a hearty laugh.

"If you think they're gonna let the broth get cold in the five minutes it's gonna take us to get there, you're crazy. Learn some patience, kid." He chuckled, pulling his sleeve away from his eager apprentice. "You act like you've never eaten before. Don't they feed the kids in this village?" His thoughts were suddenly brought back to his first encounter with Naruto just earlier in the evening, his student lying dirty on the grassy field of the training grounds. "_Well, I guess I can't blame him. He must have been training hard to work up this kind of appetite._" Seeing the opportunity, a small, mischievous smile contorted the older man's face. Any opportunity to mess with the kid is a moment best spend seized.

As Naruto attempted to slow his pace and attempted to practice this "patience" thing, he noticed that the Pervy Sage was no longer walking along beside him. Turning around in search, he spotted his master parked in the middle of the road ten feet back, his arms crossed and his nose pointed up in the air. Frustrated, Naruto reached behind his head and rubbed the back of his neck. What could be keeping him _now_?

Naruto's heart nearly dropped out of his chest when his master spoke.

"If you're gonna be like that, maybe I've suddenly lost my appetite for ramen. I guess I'll just wander back home now..." Turning around on his heel, the Pervy Sage dramatically swung his large white ponytail over his shoulder and took a big step in the direction they had just came. Naruto's voice behind him was almost as if all the explosive tags in the village suddenly went off right behind him.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN LOST YOUR APPETITE?! ERO-SENNIN YOU PROMISED! LEGENDARY SANNIN? MORE LIKE LEGENDARY RIP-OFF!" Around there is when his words became less complete sentences and more a jarbled mess of loud grumblings and insults. The Legendary Rip-Off had to cover his mouth with his hands to keep from bursting out laughing. Suddenly, he found himself spun around, holding the kid off of him with his outstretched hand over his forehead, Naruto's kicks and punches just barely out of reach of his body. With his hand occupied, he heaved a bellied laugh.

"Come on, kid I was just teasing! How about this, when we get there, you can have all the toppings you want, so long as you can stand up straight and keep your hands off me and your mouth shut the rest of the way." In a second, the boy was standing straight as a board next to his master, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

The rest of the walk was silent.

xxxx

The way that Ichiraku presented itself to passersby could only be described as humble. The little ramen shops entire dining area was just a bar with stools sitting along the outside. With nothing but four white cloths displays red kanji on the outside to shield the interior from the bright evening sun, the stand certainly didn't look like anything special. But between those familiar four- well, three walls, was what Naruto considered the greatest delicacy in the whole village. As he and Jiraiya stepped into the ramen shop, Naruto's whole body was enveloped in a soothing warmth as the rich ensemble of smells flooded his nose. This wasn't some hundred-ryo cup of ramen you could find in the market, Naruto decided, as if he didn't already know. There's only one place you can find this dilectable symphony of rich, savory and soothing smells. And there are only two people in the world who knew how to do it just right.

"Ichiraku-jii-san! Ayame-chan! Gimme a large pork ramen with extra pork on the double!" Naruto jumped towards the counter as he shouted his order. His still and quiet facade had left him before he even landed on the soft, leather-padded stool of his home-away-from-home. Jiraiya took a deep breath and sat at the stool next to him, though calmer and more relaxed, he, too, was eager to taste whatever was giving off that incredible smell that was engulfing his senses.

"You got it, Naruto!" Teuchi Ichiraku, the man whose smile could welcome even the coldest of shinobi, replied over his shoulder, stirring the contents of a large stock pot cooking over the low, blue flame of the burner behind the counter. As he turned to look at his number one customer, his smile grew once he saw who had accompanied the boy to his restaurant. "Hello, Jiraiya-san! What can I get for you?"

"I'll have the same as the kid, Teuchi." He took a look at his hyperactive student and let out a low sigh at what he saw. Between his impatient fingers tapping on the counter and his glossy eyes peering over the inner edge of the counter, the kid was practically drooling. "...And a bottle of sake. Tall and warm, if you've got it."

xxxx

"So what exactly is the Chidori, anyway? I know it's supposed to be an offensive ninjutsu, but what exactly does it do? And whats with that weird sound it makes? Do you know how to do it? Is it something I could learn like Sasuke?" Their meal had barely been set down on the bar in front of them before Naruto started his barrage of questions on the Sannin. Where the hell is that drink he ordered? With a sigh, Jiraiya turned his head and gave his student a frustrated look. His gaze was met with Naruto staring up at him expectingly from his stool, his chopsticks pinched in his fingers, still wrapped and unbroken.

"Chidori is a Raiton, or Lightning-style ninjutsu. It's performed when a shinobi with the skill to manipulate a change in chakra nature molds it into lightning in his hand. That's just the basics of it, and its a hell of a lot easier said than done. For one thing, Kakashi didn't even have it down fully until after he got his Sharingan, and the combination still knocks him on his butt after a couple of uses." Jiraiya nodded to Ayame as she set a small saucer and a tall bottle of elixir next to his bowl of ramen on the counter. Breaking apart his chopsticks, he bowed his head clapped his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" He breathed out along with Naruto's excited bark. For a moment, it seemed they would be able to enjoy their meal in semi-peaceful silence. But after an instant, Naruto seemed to come up with something else.

"How did Kakashi-sensei get his Sharingan?"

"That's not for me to say, kid. He's your Jonin, you ask him." Jiraiya blew on the long strands of ramen he held in his chopsticks as Naruto grumbled beside him. "Eat your ramen, Naruto. Don't tell me you put up all that fuss on the way over here just to pester me and let your food go cold." With that, Naruto fixed his attention to the bowl in front of him. Breaking his chopsticks, the young genin tore into his bowl, his interrogation moments before nearly forgotten.

xxxx

By the time they said their goodbyes to Teuchi and Ayame, the sky was a dark navy, with bits of blue faintly pearing over the horizon. The first feint bits of starlight peered gently over the night sky, just barely visible over the soft yellow glare of the street lights. Stepping out of the ramen shop into the cool night air, Naruto heaved a happy, satisfied sigh. "_Nobody does it like old man Ichiraku._" He thought to himself, as if there was ever any doubt. Looking up at the Pervy Sage, their conversation from earlier crossed his mind.

"Hey, Pervy Sage? Didn't you say something earlier about a new jutsu? Something like the Chidori?" Naruto was too full to argue with his master as he cursed himself under his breath at the resume of their earlier conversation.

"It's nothing like Chidori. The technique I told you about earlier is so advanced, it took somebody like the Yondaime Hokage three years to develop, and another six months to master." Jiraiya glanced over at his apprentice, whose eyes were nearly the size of shuriken.

"The Fourth Hokage made a jutsu like that?! Can you do it? How hard is it?! What kind of jutsu is so advanced it took Lord Fourth three whole years to create?!" His voice got louder and more frantic as his questions came out.

"Of course I can do it! And it's too hard for a kid like you to perform no matter how you spin it. Give it up, Naruto. You're just not strong enough." The Toad Sage's lip curled up into a smirk. Judging by the steam coming out of his young students ears, he could tell he had wound him up. The kid made it too easy.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING WEAK?! I'M GONNA BE THE HOKAGE THAT MAKES ALL THE OTHER HOKAGE LOOK LIKE A TOAD LAYING IN THE SAND! IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA STOP ME FROM PROVING IT, THEN YOU'D BETTER FIND A LITTLE BIT OF SENSE, 'CAUSE YOU WON'T! I'LL FIGURE OUT THE FOURTH HOKAGES JUTSU NO MATTER WHAT! BELIEVE IT!" He pumped his fist up in the air on his last remark and turned on his heel, stomping down the street towards his apartment. His mumbled grumbling towards his pervy master's words was barely a whisper before the Toad Sage appeared in front of him with a wide smile on his face.

"All right, kid! If you think you've got what it takes to learn the Fourth Hokage's jutsu, then meet me at the hot springs outside of the village at noon tomorrow! Get plenty of rest, because it's not going to be easy. Now get lost. I've got some research to do. With a thumbs up, the Pervert Hermit vanished in a cloud of smoke, off to do whatever he does once the sun goes down. Confused, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. As he made his way home, he thought of his teachers instructions, but moreso of his warning. He wasted no time getting changed and hopping into bed.

But he was far too excited to sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'll have the next chapter up by the end of the week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chaoter Three! Thanks to everybody whose been reading! Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

"And now, it is time to welcome out the Godaime, your Lord Fifth Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki!" As the feudal lord called his name, a tall, bright-eyed Naruto stepped towards the railing around the edge atop the Hokage's estate to appear before a sea of happy, celebrative villagers. Behind the distinctive white and maroon robes the Hokage dons, Naruto was dressed in his usual favorite orange jumpsuit, albeit it was a little small. But nothing could ruin this for Naruto. _This is it. _He thought. "_Now that I'm Hokage, everybody's gotta acknowledge me now! This is everything I've ever wanted! This is-_" His thoughts broke for a moment as he peered over the veiled Hokage's hat up at the bright sun. It was almost noon. He shifted the hat to block the sun from his eyes and looked down at the villagers gathered below him. His villagers. The giant family the Sandaime had risked- and lost, his life protecting was now left in his hands. The dreams he'd held onto for so much of his life were finally being realized. This was his day, and every single day from here on would be his, serving his home as the Fifth Hokage.

But no matter how he turned his head, he could never get the bright midday sun out of his head.

"_Noon. Why can't I get that out of my head? What's so special about noon that I'm missing?_" Naruto peered over his shoulder, turning away from the crowd. To his left, he spotted the Pervy Sage, staring at him with his arms crossed and his face contorted into a scowl.

Pervy Sage.

Noon.

Hokage.

Noon.

"_Oh SHIT!_"

Naruto awoke with a violent start. In an instant, he was up and out of bed, his vision fuzzy and distorted from the morning sun beating down over his sleeping face. Because of this, he didn't notice as he stepped in a half-eaten bowl of ramen. As he made a step towards the uncovered window, he slipped, and sent everything in arms-reach crashing to the ground with him.

"Ooowww.." Naruto grumbled, his hand reaching to the back of his head to run the fresh bump growing from its collision with his hardwood floor. What a way to start the morning.

"MORNING! IS IT STILL MORNING?!" He turned his head frantically to look at his alarm clock, the soft red glow of it much more soothing than the sunlight that seemed to reflect off of every surface on his eyes.

Despite Naruto's dream, it in fact was not midday. He sighed a sigh of relief and propped himself back to his feet with a tired, shaky hand.

It's 9:42 AM.

With a sigh, Naruto turned and walked down the hall into his bathroom. With no reason to rush, he took his time getting showed and dressed, and by 10:30 he found himself anxiously watching the clock.

Sitting at the table in his living room, Naruto rocked his fingers back and forth over the dark wood. The late morning light shining through the large window to his right illuminating his small apartment enough to show just how messy he'd let it get the last few weeks. If he were a normal, responsible shinobi, he might have taken his extra time this morning to clean up.

Instead, Naruto threw on his orange jacket and headed out the door. As he strolled down the familiar streets, his mind was racing with thoughts of his earlier dreams.

"_It was just a dream._" He sighed, his shoulders slouching down as his back curled and his head pointed down towards the ground. "_Godaime. Yeah, right. Where I am now, there's no way I could make Fifth Hokage. I couldn't even use that stupid jutsu Sasuke learned._" He halted his steps and straightened his back, his eyes coming to a gaze fixed on the Hokage momument that loomed over the village. "I'm just gonna have to get stronger no matter what!" Naruto Uzumaki outstretched his arm and stuck his thumbs up forward, the tip of which coming to view over the face of the Sandaime. "For the Third Hokage, and for the whole village! Believe it!" And with that, he continued down the dirt road, in search of somewhere to get a late breakfast.

xxxx

It was nearly noon by the time Naruto finally found himself at the hot spring outside the village. Compared to the Konoha Hot Springs inside the village, this place was a warm swimming pool with a storage shed nearby. Naruto never understood what the Pervy Sage's affinity for hot springs was, but the place was practically empty. About fifteen minutes after Naruto arrived, in strolled the Toad Sage himself, who was carrying a large brown paper bag.

"Hey, Naruto! Way to show up early!" The Toad Hermit said with a peaceful smile. If Naruto didn't know better, he'd think the old pervert was actually happy to see him.

"_Probably happy to be so close to a hot spring. He picked the place, after all._" Naruto thought. With a wave, Naruto closed the distance between himself and his master before his eyes landed on the brown bag. "Yo, Pervy Sage. What's with the bag?"

"Oh, this? Don't worry about it now, we might have use for it later. Get your griping out now, kid. 'Cause once we start, I'm not letting you go until I think you're gonna collapse." Jiraiya met his apprentices gaze and gave him a stern, serious look. Naruto searched his teachers face for any sign of jest or teasing. Not finding any, his eyes grew wide in wonder, but even wider in worry. He gulped.

"Y-yeah, I'm ready." Naruto shook his head to clear the fear from his thoughts and looked his master square in the face. "I'm ready, ya know?! Let's do this!" His voice was strong and determined.

"Then let's get to work."

xxxx

The first part of Master Jiraiya's training was pretty basic, just chakra control techniques like standing on water that was increasingly unstable, molding chakra through hand signs and feeling chakra move throughout the body. It reminded Naruto of lessons he learned at the academy.

"Pervy Sage, when are we gonna drop the beginner stuff and start learning this new jutsu?" Naruto ran a hand through his wet hair and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if he was soaked from the steam coming off of the hot springs or if the excess heat was just making him sweat, or a combination of both. But other than that, he was unphased by the hour or so of training they had done at this point. Noting his frustration, Jiraiya crossed his arms and stared down at his apprentice with a smug smirk on his face.

"I told you to get your griping out before. All we've done so far is gauge your ability to control your chakra. This isn't even part of the training, I just thought I should know what to expect from you." The Toad Sage tapped Naruto on the forehead, his fingernail clanking against his standard Konoha shinobi headband. "The real training starts now. Make the tatsugi sign and hold it there, but don't mold any chakra just yet."

Naruto did what he was told, bringing his hands to the ram seal in front of his chest. widening his stance, he looked up at his master and nodded.

"Now start molding chakra, evenly and steadily." Jiraiya took a step back as he felt his apprentice's chakra spike slightly, clearly indicating he had done what was asked of him. "Great." He turned to face the banks where they had left their shoes and walked out from the surface of the springs. "Now keep molding chakra until you feel like you're gonna pass out."

"What?! What do you mean 'pass out'? Why do I have to do it on the water?! What if I do pass out and I drown?!" Naruto's protests drew most of his attention as he released his hand sign, his arms coming up to fold acrossed his chest. Was the Pervy Sage trying to kill him?

"I said until you _feel like_ you're gonna pass out, not until you pass. Pay attention, Naruto. This is a very important step." Jiraiya slipped his geta back onto his feet and started walking towards the small inn that accompanied the hot springs. "Start molding chakra again. I can feel it when you do, so don't stop as soon as I walk away. And don't move to the banks, either. Being able to control the way your chakra flows in two different directions is a key part in what we're trying to do. When I feel your chakra start to exhaust, I'll come back and make sure you're not floating face down."

"But why do you have to leave at all? Aren't you supposed to be teaching me? Showing me what to do?" Naruto gave the Toad Perv a frustrated glare and brought his hands back up to his chest in the ram seal. Jiraiya turned his head over his shoulder and scowled at Naruto.

"Stop whining, I'm not holding your hand. You have to do this yourself or not at all."

Hesitantly, Naruto lowered his head and began to mold chakra into his hands once more. Content with the feeling of Naruto's chakra spiking up, he opened the door to the inn and let it shut behind him, leaving Naruto alone atop the hot spring.

For a while, Naruto thought that simply molding chakra was just a way to keep him busy while the Pervy Sage went off to peep at the women's section of the small resort.

Until twenty minutes in, when his hands started to get chakra burns.

And when forty minutes later his entire chakra network felt like molten steel flowing through his body.

"_Damn it!_" Naruto thought as he steadied his body, his chakra becoming harder and harder to keep flowing at a consistent rate. The steady stream of chakra flowing through his less hurt the most; his legs felt like they would break if he moved them at all. "_Maybe if I stay really still, I can keep my body from collapsing." _He grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut."_I wish I would have taken my jacket off._" Maybe he was wrong to assume the Pervy Sage was just toying with him.

The next few hours were nothing but pure agony for Naruto. After every sharp pain and every twitch in his chakra, he had to fight the urge to release his chakra and collapse into the water for some sort of relief from the constant stinging, prickly feeling his chakra burned into his nerves as he maintained his control. As the sun moved through the sky from afternoon, to early evening, to sunset, Naruto thought his body would never feel relief again. As the lights around the spring came on once the sky became dark, Naruto felt his chakra snap. No sooner than the moment he felt his legs give and the water rushing closer and closer in his vision did he realize he was falling.

Right before his head dunked into the water, he felt someone grab him from under his arms and hoist him out of the water. With a weak look over his soaking wet shoulder, he recognized a familiar red and white blur through his barely-open eyes.

"Easy, kid. Go ahead and rest, I've got you." The Pervy Sage threw Naruto over his shoulder in a firemens carry and started for the inn. Naruto winced as his ever-sore body protested every little movement with a sharp and twisted pain.

**A/N: As you've probably noticed, this story isn't going to follow canon very closely. This story is going to really show what the Rasengan represents and how important it is to Naruto, both as a memento of his father, former Hokage and his master. Next chapter is when we'll really get into the training. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the break between chapters, but the holidays have been taking up a lot of my free time! Anyways, here's chapter four. Enjoy!**

Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own it!

"The kid really overdid it."

As he made his way down the large wooded path towards the village, with Naruto passed out over his shoulder, Jiraiya spoke aloud, certain he couldn't wake the kid up if he tried. Despite the circumstances, tonight was the perfect night. The cool, early-spring wind blowing through the trees making the newly-sprouted leaves dance amongst the white glow of the bright, nearly-full moon above. The Toad Sage thought back to his own childhood; on nights like these he'd loved to chase fireflies and spend time with his team when he was the kids age. Shaking his reminiscent thoughts from his mind, he found himself just outside the Konoha main gates.

"Good evening, Master Jiraiya." Izumo Kamizuki stood from his seat next to the gate, nodding his head in a respectful greeting to the Sannin. Beside him, his partner, Kotetsu Hagane, gave his elder a friendly wave. "What brings you into the village so la-" Izumo's words failed him as his one visible eye spotted the orange-clad genin hoisted over Jiraiya's shoulder, sound asleep.

"Woah, is that Naruto? What the hell happened to him?" Kotetsu stood up, leaning forward over the table he was sitting behind to get a better look. With an elbow to the ribs, Izumo knocked him back down to his chair in an effort to silence him.

"Ignore him, Master Jiraiya. You know how some people are, too curious for their own good, hehe..." The chunin rubbed the back of his head nervously. If he had learned anything as a shinobi of Konoha, it was to keep conversations with any of the Legendary Sannin short and respectful. His partner was gonna get them killed.

"What's the big deal?" Kotetsu scratched underneath the bandage that covered over the bridge of his nose and stood back up. "I just want to know what's up with the kid. Is he alright?"

"He'll be okay. Just used up a lot of chakra training. I suppose it's my fault, I didn't think about just how painful the Nine-tails chakra could be." With the mention of the Kyuubi, the chunin before him visibly flinch. With a roll of his eyes, Jiraiya left the gate guards to their duties as they fumbled over bumbling apologies.

"_It couldn't have been anything BUT the Nine-tail chakra. His flow wasn't too quick, his reserves were never in danger of running so low that it could knock him out like this." _Jiraiya thought. He sighed. _"There's got to be a way to train the kid without the damn fox getting in the way._" Naruto shifted on his shoulder and let out a grunt, but didn't move any further. "_First things first, this kid needs checked out."_

xxxx

The Konoha Medical Center was as dull and boring as a Hyuga Clan meeting and twice as irritating. Despite Jiraiya's protests, the nurse watching over Naruto decided that he should be admitted and be left there overnight for observation. Jiraiya didn't bother tell them about the nine-tails' involvement in the boys ailment- it would just bring unwanted attention. He quickly left the hospital before an irate nurse could throw him out for wandering around after visiting hours and found himself standing in the dirt street leading to the main roads of Konoha. Jamming his hands over his hips, he turned to look at the enterance to the hospital; its bright, always-lit front illuminating a large section of dirt around him.

"_Maybe it's worse than I thought._" The Sannins mind focused on his injured apprentice. "_Who would have thought he could drag the nine-tails' chakra out so quickly, just by molding chakra._" He heaved a heavy breath. Who the hell does he talk to about Jinchuuriki troubles? In the corner of his eye, Jiraiya spotted a team of 3 young genin and their leader heading up the road towards him. Turning his head to observe them, he noticed from the dirt caked over their clothes that they might have just fought off a threatening wall of mud. He quickly recognized the genin each as members of prominent shinobi clans from Konoha: a mildly scrawny Inuzuka, a slightly taller Aburame, he could tell by the blatantly covered face and dark glasses, and a small Hyuga girl. As his eyes came up to their Jonin leader, their eyes met, and she gave the Sannin a nod in greeting. As the distance between the Toad Sage and the group closed, he could hear the Inuzuka boy openly complain about their recent work.

"I know its what everyones doing, but I don't see why a team of tracking specialists keeps getting sent out to missions like rebuilding sections of the outer wall or clearing fallen trees." The boy with the dog on his head yawned, dramatically covering his mouth with his hand. "I'm getting bored just thinking about it!"

"It is important that every shinobi help in the repairs to the village." The Aburame boy spoke in a gravely monotone voice. "The reason is, there aren't enough shinobi to continue running regular missions and repair the damage from the invasion. Utilizing genin squads to fill in the gaps in manpower is a logical solution."

"Yeah yeah, I know, but whats that got to do with our specific skills? Wouldn't we be better off in the future if we focused on our training to prevent something like this from happening in the future?"

"Enough, Kiba. There's nothing anybody can do about mission assignments." Kurenai Yuhi reached out and planted her hand on her students shoulder. As they walked past the hospital, a voice beside them cleared its throat.

"Hello, Master Jiraiya. What are you doing so far from the bar this late at night?" The black-haired Jonin gave the Sannin a small, judging smirk.

"Very funny, Kurenai. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you have these brats out way past their bedtime. What's that about?" The Toad Sage crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows.

"We just got back from a mission." Kurenai let out a chuckle. "You do remember what a mission is, right? Or have your retirement years been spent doing "research" as you call it?"

"And who the hell are you calling brats, old man?!" Kiba growled at the stranger, his ninja hound, Akamaru, barked at his masters suddenly raised voice.

"Who are you calling old man, brat?" The Sannin knelt down the get a good look at the Inuzuka child. "What are you and that dog of yours gonna do? Mark me? I've fought with frogs who could get someone like you stuck in their teeth." He straightened his back and his eyes met with their sensei once again, this time their gazes locked in an intense glare. The genin were almost certain they'd need to make a quick getaway before their sensei and this stranger started exchanging blows.

"...Most species of frogs do not have teeth."

"What did you say?" Jiraiya spoke outward, not turning to look at the genin.

"I said, most species of frogers do not have teeth." Shino Aburame spoke, his hand rising up to straighten his dark sunglasses. "And amongst those that do, they certainly could not fit a person between them. Not even a young child."

"Damn the logical and calm calculation of the Aburame Clan." Jiraiya and Kurenai broke their stare to look at Shino, whose composure started to falter under their gaze. Kurenai let out a small chuckle, and after a moment, Jiraiya joined in as well. Before long, they were both doubled over themselves in belliful, booming laughter.

And the three genin before them stood around with no idea what the hell was going on.

"It's good to see you again, Master Jiraiya." Kurenai let out the last of her laughs and straightened up to rest a hand on her students shoulder. "Shino, Kiba, Hinata, this is Master Jiraiya. He's one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and he's Naruto's teacher."

"You too, Kurenai. Hello, kids. Sorry to give you trouble, I'm just here on some business with my apprentice." The Toad Sage rubbed the back of his neck. "Your sensei and I like to give each other a hard time every once in a while."

"I-is something the matter with Naruto?" The Hyuga child-Hinata, Jiraiya remembered, had spoken barely over a whisper. When her words brought Jiraiya's attention to her, she seemed to shrink into her dirty, oversized coat.

"What makes you ask that? Afraid I'm not doing a good enough job taking care of my student?" Jiraiya raised his eyebrow as the girl grew read in the face from his teasing.

"G-gomen, Master Jiraiya-sama." Hinata her fingers together and ducked her head, wishing she could disappear into the ground. "B-but your business with N-naruto is right outside the hospital, and, well.. I was worried." As her speech went on, her face became brighter and brighter shades of red. By the time she had finished, Jiraiya thought she might explode.

"I'm just teasing. Naruto should be fine, he just over-excerted himself during some training and now he's got to stay the night in the hospital." He shrugged. Some things are best kept to himself, he thought.

"Let's go, Team 8. I'm sure Jiraiya has some business to attend to, and we definitely do. Good night, Master Jiraiya." With that, the genin team made their way down the road. Not seeing any reason to stick around, the Pervy Sage found himself walking towards his favorite karaoke bar. He had some questions of his students Jonin, and he had an idea who might be able to point him in the right direction.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! To be honest, I'm not super proud of this chapter. I know I said last chapter that this one would really get into the training, but I wanted to get some more characters interacting before some big events and I couldn't envision a way to do that without this chapter taking more than 5 hours to write, which is all the free time I've had the last few days. Please check my Bio for progress to this story, I've been posting it the whole way and that's the best way to find out when I expect to upload! Happy Holidays, and thanks for reading!**

**Update 3/10/2020: This story is on hiatus. I don't want to write something bad that I'm not passionate about right now, so once that muse comes back, I'll update. Sorry for those who has been waiting for an update.**


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